Relationships between growth and gas exchange characteristics in some salt-tolerant amphidiploid Brassica species in relation to their diploid parents.

Relationships between growth and different gas exchange characteristics of two amphidiploid salt tolerant species, Brassica napus, and B. carinata with respect to their salt sensitive parents, B. oleracea, and B. nigra were investigated. Twenty three-day old plants of these four species along with those of another amphidiploid moderately salt tolerant B. juncea (developed by hybridization of diploids, B. campestris and B. nigra), and a diploid moderately salt tolerant, B. campestris, were subjected for 28 days to salinized sand culture containing 0, 100 or 200 mol NaCl m(-3) in Hoagland's nutrient solution. The species B. napus and B. carinata produced significantly greater shoot fresh and dry matters than their parents under saline conditions. A close association was found between growth, and assimilation rate for all species differing in degree of salt tolerance. Stomatal conductance (g(s)) was reduced due to salt stress in all species but this variable had no significant correlation with assimilation rate (A). However, the amphidiploid salt tolerant species, B. napus and B. carinata had significantly greater photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency (A/E), intrinsic water use efficiency (A/g(s)) than those of their diploid parents. In conclusion, high salt tolerance of the two amphidiploid species, B. napus and B. carinata was associated with a high assimilation rate, water use efficiency and intrinsic water use efficiency but there was little association of the tolerance of these species with stomatal conductance, leaf water potential or transpiration rate (E).